1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paper object processing device and a paper object processing method for processing tickets for use in slot machines in American casinos, for example.
2. Description of the Related Art
Slot machines issue tickets which are used in place of the cash that is paid out. One surface side of this type of ticket is a heat-sensitive surface, and the 18 digit number is printed as information in the form of a bar-code and a number on the heat-sensitive surface using a thermal head, and the ticket is then issued.
In the case where the ticket is to be converted to cash, when the ticket is to be registered in the slot machine a second time, the ticket is inserted into the slot machine and the number is read by the bar-code reader and the cash amount that is registered in the host computer is referred to. The slot machine ticket reader generally has a paper currency reader installed at a shared location, and thus the used tickets are mixed with the paper currency when stored inside the storage safe.
It is to be noted that the tickets that are stored in the storage safe are taken out together with the cash but a processing device for stacking and sealing tickets is being developed in which the tickets that are taken out are separated from the cash.
In the case of American casinos, there is a requirement to keep the used tickets for a few years, and as a result, bundles of 100 are sealed using a banding material as is done with paper currency. If sufficient information is not written on each bundle, it will be difficult to find it later, and thus control information is written on the banding material.
Furthermore, as disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2002-80012, the banding material is wrapped around the tickets and both ends thereof are overlapped and a heater head is pressed on to both ends that have been overlapped, and heat-sealing is thereby performed.
However, in the prior art, there is a problem in that sufficient control information could not be recorded because the banding material on which the control information is written is not wide enough and is thus limited in area.
Furthermore, in the prior art, because the heater head is pressed on both overlapped ends of the banding material at the heat-sensitive surface of the ticket, there is a problem at the time of heat-sealing in that the heat-sensitive surface of the ticket is heated by the heat from the heater head and it may be blackened.